Durham MCCU players are now back in England having completed a successful seven (7) days of warm weather pre-season cricket and fitness training between Saturday 19th – Friday 25th March at Desert Springs Resort, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course with its very own dedicated Cricket Academy, in the Almanzora region of Almeria, Andalucía in south-east Spain.

Paul Grayson, Durham MCCU Head Coach and Gareth Breese, Spin Bowling Coach, accompanied twenty-two (22) players who completed bowling, batting and fielding practice as well as strength and conditioning training sessions as they stepped up their physical preparations for the upcoming 2016 season.

Paul Grayson, a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and Essex and following his playing retirement served as Essex's head coach from 2007 to 2015 commented:

“This has been an exceptional week at Desert Springs, it just couldn’t have gone any better!

The service we have received throughout the whole resort has been sensational.

The cricket facilities are top class and exactly what we needed after winter training back in England.

We look forward to seeing you again in 2017!”

The training camp worked on a specific and carefully planned programme covering technical skills, strength and conditioning and both individual and group activity.

Durham MCCU players said of their pre-season training experience at the Desert Springs Cricket Academy:

“The Desert Springs Cricket Academy has top quality facilities, a special thanks to the groundsmen who looked after them so well. The food and accommodation is also of a great standard, thank you to all of the staff.”Joseph Cooke

“The Cricket Academy provides top facilities to train on, providing a great run into the English cricket season. The resort villas, food and hospitality is excellent and I would highly recommend Desert Springs to all!”Edward Pollock

“I have had a great week here at Desert Springs! The nets have been brilliant and the hospitality has also been great. The weather and location make it great for any pre-season tour. ”Cameron Steel

“This has been a unique opportunity to develop the team’s cricketing abilities in a relaxed and highly hospitable environment, a very enjoyable week!”Frederick Davies

“Desert Springs provides great facilities, beautiful weather and very friendly and welcoming staff. We have had a very enjoyable week and a perfect pre-season training camp before returning to the cold!”Jack Wood

“This has been a fantastic week of cricket, weather and facilities. The atmosphere was fantastic and I would come back again!”Justin Langen

“Great facilities with a great atmosphere to train in before the summer season!”Xavier Owen

The players and coaches were accommodated in some of the privately owned apartments & townhouses normally reserved for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs and the resort’s executive chef was on hand to cater for the special dietary requirements of individual players dining in El Torrente Restaurant.

Durham MCC University is a cricket-coaching centre based at Durham University in Durham, County Durham, England, and is the name under which the university's cricket team plays.

The coaching centre is largely funded by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and as of 2012; they are one of six MCC University teams in England who are considered a first-class team when playing against other first-class sides.

Former Essex coach Paul Grayson was announced as the new coach in September 2015 and the team's home ground is The Racecourse, Durham University's home ground since 1843.

Since obtaining first-class status in 2001, the university has produced a large number of cricketers who have obtained professional county contracts, while others such as James Foster have gone on to play international cricket. Prior to first-class status, players such as Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain played for the university's cricket club.

The Durham MCC University team training camp will comprise Twenty-Two (22) players and Two (2) coaches, all of whom will be spending their time completing numerous training sessions each day, which will include grass net practice, both bowling and batting, strength work, running, speed and agility work. As they will be outside and on grass, the squad will also be able to do fielding and throwing practice in realistic conditions, something not possible indoors back in the UK.
The Almanzora Group Sales & Marketing Manager, Simon Coaker remarked: -

"We are delighted to welcome Durham MCC University for their inaugural pre-season training camp at the Desert Springs Cricket Academy. They will be following in the auspicious footsteps of The Tom Maynard Trust, Somerset CCC, Sussex CCC and Glamorgan CCC who have already completed their pre-season training camps at Desert Springs recently.”

The feedback received from those visiting Cricket groups can be viewed here.

Accommodation for the players and coaches is in some of the privately owned apartments and townhouses at Desert Springs Resort normally reserved for holidays and short breaks and the resort’s executive chef will be on hand to cater for the special dietary requirements of individual players dining in the resort’s award-winning El Torrente Restaurant.

Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Durham MCCU) will be stepping up their preparations for their 2016 cricket campaign by completing their 7-day warm weather pre-season training camp at the Desert Springs Cricket Academy between Saturday 19th – Friday 25th March 2016.